Boost your productivity: Technology tools that will balance your days

Nowadays, with so much information available to motivate ourselves and being more productive, I have found the importance of having tools and practices that can support our productivity in practical ways with the awareness of not burning ourselves out. Motivation and purpose are definitively keywords here, but so are creativity and inspiration that normally emerge during rest and recreation time. For me, this is a way of making a healthy balance to keep going with more clarity and efficiency.

So let’s talk about this!

First I would like to start with some practices and then mention few tech tools that can support all that.

1. Plan your day ahead of time

Write down the three most important tasks you need to accomplish. It could be a personal wellbeing one, another related to your work and then any errand or household pending task. Think about what you are doing and when you are doing it during your day, also consider how long will it take you.

I suggest you to focus on the early morning plan the night before and making a list of everything you need to take you to that direction. Eliminate what is not a priority but also make sure your basic needs are well taken care of so you have the energy and mental clarity to choose your tasks boldly. Apply this practice in a daily basis.

2. Set a single goal for each day

An alternative for this previous practice is to set one important goal per day, so you can focus on individual tasks that normally take more time and energy investment. Break down all the necessary tasks for that bigger goal and assign each of them time and duration throughout your day. Group similar tasks so you can complete them with the same mindset. This will make you flow with your work smoothly and expand your time availability.

3. Learn to Say “No”

Saying no can be a powerful one and also a hard one for many of us. Say no to long periods of time scrolling on your phone or checking your emails every hour. Say no to activities and people that won’t support how you want to feel and the direction you want to take. Say no to trash food or habits that make you feel heavy and guilty.

Make more space for your authentic purpose and responsibilities. To say YES to the life you really want you need to say NO to all that does not support that. Ask yourself why you are choosing a certain path or field. Make sure to keep those reasons in mind while working so you stay inspired and motivated.

4. Create a dedicated and pretty Workspace

If you are working from home or remotely, set a dedicated workspace with your favorite decoration, plants, a comfy chair and maybe speakers to listen to productive music to help you maintain your concentration. Also, try to create it near to natural light sources, frequent exposure to sunlight can improve your sleep patterns besides contributing to your well-being and productivity levels.

5. Take Regular Breaks and Self-care time

Breaks give your mind and body the chance to recover from intense work and focus. Also it can help you on boosting your creativity for problem solving and to allow some space for relaxation and inspiration. But you need to be fully intentional. Distracting yourself with a phone in your hand is not a real break.

Lay down on your bed or your favorite couch and take deep breaths with your eyes closed, have a meditation practice or just stay still for 10 minutes. Schedule self-care activities to recharge yourself to prevent burnout from work stress. It could be a walk in the park, painting sessions, a massage, listening to music and dancing at least one or two songs, stretching, having a tea and a snack while you fully enjoy it in silence.

6. Let go of perfectionism/control obsession and hire a Virtual Assistant

Perfectionism is the main reason of exhaustion and giving up. Propose yourself to not waste time trying to make every task perfect. If it works good enough, move on to the next thing and revisit it later for some improvements.

Delegate your work when your capacity is fully booked and trust on a professional Virtual Assistant that can support you on those tasks that overwhelm you the most or simply you have no clue about, but can also offer you new perspectives about your business and projects.

Technology Tools

1. Apple Notes

I love using Apple Notes for pretty much everything. From To Do and Shopping Lists to content creation ideas. It is very handy and easy to share with other people and devices. It is like having a notebook everywhere you go and it has a searching function where you can add keywords to look for previous notes on your records.

2. ChatGPT

ChatGPT is a versatile tech trendy tool that can help you framing ideas, facilitate your research process or improve your texts redaction, translations and explanations, just to give you some examples. With ChatGPT, the possibilities are endless so it is important to be mindful and ethical while using it.

3. YouTube

I’m constantly amazed and highly grateful about how much you can learn for free on platforms like YouTube. I have found the best tutorials and conferences here that have helped me to achieved tremendous progress on my projects and creativity. You can find content about pretty much any topic you can think of, from professionals to amateurs, speakers and artists, entertainers, coaches and teachers, technical or non-technical, e-very-thing! It is an awesome tool.

4. Google Calendar

It just makes easier to manage appointments, events, setting reminders and sharing your availability. There is also Calendly to simplify appointment scheduling and I am positive about a Virtual Assistant ability to support you on all this. Calendar apps can help you to effortlessly organize your personal and work lives with the intention of increasing efficiency and better time management.

Of course there are plenty of practices and tech tools I have not mentioned here, but these are the ones I like and appreciate the most based on my experience and the benefits or results I have gotten from them. They are simple and easy to access.

Boost your productivity with technology tools that will balance your day and choose those that better serve you not only on your motivation but your inspiration as well.